Swarthmore Friends Meeting Swarthmore,
Pennsylvania
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Newsletter for April 2008
Navigation links within the April Newsletter:
Queries on Stewardship of Resources Addressed to the Meeting:
Addressed to the individual:
From Faith and Practice of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 2002, page 213 and 214 Partial Draft Minutes of Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business held Sunday, March 9, 2008 The Meeting opened with Lynne Piersol, Clerk, presiding. The following Friends and attenders recorded their presence by signing in: Lisa Heath Dainton, Christine DeGrado, Margaret Fraser, Paul Greene, Mimi Hall, Bevier Hasbrouck, Pauline Jordan, Leslie Keighton, Susan Larson, Mary Mangelsdorf, Steven Olshewsky, Mary Lou Parker, Lynne Piersol, Kathy Santiago, Nancy Saunders, Lois Sellers, Sally Shane, Johanna Sibbett, Betsy Wray, and Paul Joyce Collins Williams (20). The Queries on Stewardship of the Environment were read, considered, and spoken to. The Meeting website has information on environmental issues, and the Meeting uses Fair Trade coffee. Several Meeting members use their bicycles to get to Meeting. The use of non-toxic cleaning products was mentioned. Minutes of the previous Meeting were reviewed silently and commented on. With clarifications concerning presentation of the State of the Meeting draft, (we did not actually approve it in February) and the return of Lyle Jenks' sojourning letter (which needed the name of the Meeting included); the Minutes from Meeting for Business on February 8, 2008, were approved. The Clerk's note: It was noted that our calendar makes it difficult to invite Arthur Larrabee, the General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting until fall to speak on Yearly Meeting finances. Contributions by Swarthmore Meeting members to the Yearly Meeting's Annual Fund are behind those of last year at this time. Envelopes are available in the Meeting Office. A final draft of the State of the Meeting Report was handed out and perused. After brief discussion, the State of the Meeting Report for 2007 was approved and it will be forwarded to Quarterly Meeting. The Meeting minuted its special thanks to Nancy Saunders and other for their work. Mimi Hall reported for Peace and Social Concerns: Lisa Burger Lentz will be our Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) contact. Paul Green will convene the Discretionary Committee. The Peace Page will be laid down for now since pat Wolff has moved to Harrisburg. The sued clothes packing continues under the direction of Sue Larson. A convener is needed for the Environmental Working Group, which is not currently functioning. April 4-7 the FCNL is sponsoring a Young Friends lobbying weekend. Financial support is available. Lois Sellers reported for Care and Counsel: Arlene Kelly and Deb Bromley presented an overview of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Center for Deepening and Strengthening Our Meetings to a joint session of Care and Counsel and the Worship and Ministry Committees. Margaret Fraser gave more details about the program, which has two parts. The first part involves learning about ourselves. It was decided that Arlene will be invited to present a "Taster" session on the program following the May potluck. It is hoped that younger families will be able to come. As customary, Warship and Ministry and Care and Counsel Committee will sponsor a reception for new members on Easter Sunday. Steve Olshewsky reported on the Swarthmore Friends Nursery School. Steve has background in tax law. The Meeting approved his offer to consult with Ed Jones for clarification regarding the incorporation of the Nursery School several years ago; figure out what needs to be done, and then, in the presence of the Nursery School directors and others, contact an appropriate State official to get the problem resolved.. It was noted the other Friends schools, likewise non-profit, are not required to pay worker's compensation and unemployment taxes. The Meeting thanked him for his assistance. He will report back to Meeting for Business on progress. Mary Lou Parker reported for Personnel Committee: The Search Committee has received about twenty responses to its search for a new Meeting Secretary. It has narrowed the field to three persons whom it will interview on Tuesday, March 11. Bill DeGrado handed out a revised job description for the Meeting Secretary. Friends approved the job description for the Meeting Secretary. Christine DeGrado reported for Nomination Committee: Catherine King and Lise Reno have been reappointed to budget and Finance Committee; Pat Thomas and Mike Malone are reappointed to Worship and Ministry Committee; David Grove and Susan Larson are reappointed to Care and Counsel Committee; Mary Mangelsdorf and Mary Lou Parker are reappointed to Personnel Committee. Phyllis Raymond is a new appointment to Jumble Sale and the Meeting approved this appointment. Mike Malone has resigned as Interim Meeting Representative and John McKinstry has resigned as Alternate Interim Representative. Other resignations include Pat Wolff and Patty Bowring from Peace and Social Concerns Committee and Steve Olshewsky from Budget and Finance Committee. Christine spoke about our policy limiting committee members to two three-year terms. The Nominating Committee is seeking guidance on this since on occasion it seems that a member has found the niche, which best utilizes his or her talents and wishes to remain on the committee. The matter was discussed and the decision was made that terms could go longer than six years if one really wanted to remain on a committee and the committee asked for this exception. Paul Joyce Collins Williams presented his proofreading awards to Lois Sellers and Mary Lou Parker. After a few moments of silent worship, the Meeting was adjourned. Submitted by Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk A Note from the Meeting Secretary As a young Quaker (that is, new to the Society of Friends) in Little Rock, Arkansas, our Meeting learned that Elton Trueblood would give a series of lectures at a local Christian college. His return flight to Richmond, Indiana, would start from Little Rock Airport, so about half our Meeting gathered at the coffee shop, we arranged some tables together and, while other passengers pushing luggage around and families said their goodbyes, we talked with him. He asked us hour our Meeting "prospered?" I found that phrase unusual until I learned, much later, that he had used language from the first set of Queries sent out by London Yearly Meeting in the 17th century. Someone asked him about his academic title, "Professor-at-Large," and he related how, when he stopped active classroom teaching, Landrum Bolding, then President of Earlham College, suggested that title. Elton liked the idea because he wanted to take his teaching off campus. He smiled and told us, "Remember, Quakers don't retire, they become released." Submitted by Paul Joyce Collins Williams Thanks to Paul Please join us for a celebration and thanks to Paul Joyce Collins Williams for his dedication and service to the Meeting at our extra-special April potluck. If you would like to help, please contact Lynne Piersol, Clerk. Non-violent Responses to Terrorism: Pragmatic Resources for Today's Peace Testimony The Second Annual Stephen G. Cary Memorial Lecture presents: Nonviolent Responsed to Terrorism: Pragmatic Resources for Today's Peace Testimony, by George Lakey. It will be held Saturday, April 19, 2008, 7:30 p.m. in the Barn at Pendle Hill. There will be refreshments served at 7:00 p.m. in the Barn Lobby, and the Bookstore will be open. The Stephen G. Cary Memorial Lecture is supported by the Stephen G. Cary Memorial Fund. The Fund was established in 2004 at Pendle Hill to make possible the publication of a book of Steve Cary's writings: The Intrepid Quaker: One Man's Quest for Peace, and to support other activities held in Steve Cary's name. Each year the Memorial Lecture at Pendle Hill will address a major peace issue facing Friends. A New Meeting Secretary is Coming Mary Titus, a resident of Swarthmore since 1972, and currently the administrator of a one-person-office for a local chapter of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, will take up duties in the Meeting Office the week of April 13. We are looking forward to getting to know her and she is eager to know us. Some of you may recognize Mary since she is also on the Board of Directors for the Town Center and is involved with Friends of the Arts. She has visited us on Sunday a few times. Paul will overlap with her that week and be closely involved with the transition. Welcome, Mary! Submitted by Lynne Piersol Come; See the Beauteous Birds of May! Join with Friends and attenders, old and young, for our annual First Day School Bird Walk on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Starting at 7:00 a.m. (plan to arrive a little early). There will be a hardy breakfast served at 8:00 a.m. All ages welcome to walk and eat. Volunteers are needed to help with the Walk and preparing breakfast.
Do You Know Someone Who Could use Help from the Visiting Committee? The Visiting Committee, a working group under Care and Counsel Committee, is available to assist members and attenders of Swarthmore Friends Meeting who are experiencing illness, the death of a loved one, or who may be homebound and isolated. We can provide transportation, meals, and home visits to those who need them. If you, or another member or attender you know could use our serves, please contact one of our Committee members:Lyn Jones, Susan Larson, Betsey Wray, Nancy Saunders, Chris DeGrado, Jackie Wilson, Elizabeth McAndrew, and Barbara Blake. Please telephone the Meeting Office, (610) 328-8699, for contact information. Submitted by Barbara Blake Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Annual Fund Appeal The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) supports us in many ways, and offers opportunities for us to grow and learn, including the Deepening and Strengthening Program we are considering at Swarthmore. It supports individuals with scholarships and other grants, provides curriculums for First Day Schools and adults, nurtures ministries in the areas of peace, social, environmental, conflict resolution, and other concerns, and sponsors annual sessions in March and in the summer (residential). Their website is www.pym.org. The Annual Fund goal this year is $475,000 and is vital to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's budget. The fiscal years ends June 30th. Please consider a contribution, which can be sent to PYM Annual Fund, 1515 Cheery Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Checks can be made out to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Contribution envelopes are available in the Meeting Office. Many, many thanks. Submitted by Lynne Piersol, Annual Fund Representative Friends Committee on National Legislation Priorities The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) is a Quaker lobby organization in Washington, D.C. It has two guiding documents that are created in consultation with Quakers across the country. One of them, the Statement of Legislative Priorities, is a narrowly written document that describes in specific terms what FCNL wants to accomplish in any given Congress. The Statement of Legislative Priorities is revised every two years, and it will be revised at this November's Annual Meeting. In order to begin the revision process, groups of Friends all across the country are meeting to try and discern what they think FCNL should focus on. Swarthmore Monthly Meeting will be meeting on March 30, 2008, at 12:45 p.m. after the rise of Meeting, and the discussion will be facilitated by Mark Kharas, a member of FCNL's General Committee. Please come to that meeting to help in the discerning process. A copy of the previous statement of Legislative Policy is on the facing bench for you to read. FCNL's webpage for setting priorities is http://www.fcnl.org/priorities/. Submitted by Mark Kharas Request for HELP! If anyone has the skills and interest in building a small puppet theater, please contact Nancy Saunders. Please telephone the Meeting Office, (610) 328-8699, for her contact information.
State of the Meeting Report for 2007 The Report was approved by Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business on March 9, 2008 Part One: Overview of 2007
Our ministry, as detailed below, continues to be strong and Spirit-let, both within and outside the doors of the Meetinghouse. Part Two: Committee Activities
The State of the Meeting Report was approved by Swarthmore Monthly Meeting for Business held Sunday, March 9, 2008
Newsletter Calendar for April, 2008
Each weekday the Swarthmore Nursery School has sessions, except were noted above. At opening and closing times there is an influx of traffic around the Meetinghouse and surrounding parking lots. The opening and closing times are:
SWARTHMORE MONTHLY MEETING Lynne Piersol, Clerk of the Meeting; Leslie Keighton, Recording Clerk; Michael Malone, Clerk of Worship and Ministry; Stephen Weimar, Treasurer; Paul Joyce Collins Williams, Meeting Secretary |